For 35 years the Solitaire has been the event in the Figaro Bénéteau circuit and this is confirmed once again this year with the record number of registered entries. Sailors well and not so well known, professionals or amateurs, graduates or newcomers.

Like every year, the Solitaire will bring together one of the most important fleets of monohulls. Among the 76 skippers who have announced their intention to participate in the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro are the experienced sailors of the circuit such as Armel Le CLÉAC'H (winner of the last race in 2003), Kito de PAVANT (winner in 2002), Eric DOUGLAZET (winner in 2001), Pascal BIDÉGORRY (winner in 2000), Dominic VITTET (winner in 1993), Marc EMIG (winner of the novice class in 2003), Gildas MORVAN, Yann ELIÈS, Charles CAUDRELIER, Ronan GUÉRIN…, sailors with impressive past records; Marc THIERCELIN, Lionel PÉAN, Jean Luc NÉLIAS, Halvard MABIRE… and the last winner of the Mini Transat; Armel TRIPON.

Over the years the number of foreign skippers has been on the increase, which shows that the Solitaire is an event known and recognised both in France and abroad. There are 76 wanting to cross the start line for the 35th edition of the Solitaire including; Sander BAKKER (NED) Samantha DAVIES (GBR), Peter de SMET (BEL) Eskill DEGSELL (SWE) Herve FABRE (SUI), Pascal DESMARETS (BEL) Antonio-Pédro Da CRUZ (Cape Verde) Victor MALDONADO (MEX), Branco PALIC (CRO). The number of newcomers is high and shows the keen interest sailors have for this event.

Previous Figaro contenders are equally numerous, as there are 4 pre-registered, two of which are holders of the Jules Verne Trophy. This 2004 selection is exceptional!

The Full story is available on the event website at the address below, along with a full entry list and a plethora of other useful information.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Melbourne, Australia will host the final Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification regatta in 2015. With just under one year until the event, the 2015 IFDS Worlds was launched at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne kick starts the journey to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with qualification spots and top ranking points available in the Australian city.

Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) after the Chinese boat's mast was broken early in a dramatic day on Leg 5.

The wind played dirty tricks all day in Palma on the sailors and race committees who had to juggle with big shifts and different pressure. From 4 to 20 knots, and reaching 40 in some gusts, the wind turned around the bay playing with everybody's nerves.

Ghosting across the line in the inky blackness of a Mediterranean spring night, finally slicing through the finish line set on the very waters where some 40 odd years ago he cut his teeth as a young, aspiring sailor harbouring great dreams, at 01:47:00hrs local time Guillermo Altadill and his talented, ever reliable Chilean co-skipper Jose Muñoz secured second placed in this third edition of the Barcelona World Race, the round the world race for two crew which left the Catalan capital on December 31st 2014.

Algoa Bay brought lighter conditions on Sunday, and after a postponement waiting for the wind to settle, the race got underway in 7 knots of breeze from the south-east. Ted Conrads and Brian Haines from the USA were the pathfinders, and opened up the gate for the fleet as they sailed out to the right-hand side of the course.